Saturday, May 5, 2007

The effects of the recent agricultural crisis are still being felt in European protein ingredients markets. Fear of consumer reaction to food products containing animal proteins has led to manufacturers adjusting recipes to substitute animal proteins with plant proteins. Companies are also responding to public concerns over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) such as GM-soya by researching replacement proteins such as wheat and pulse. These changes have resulted in increased industry competition as participants race to provide alternative protein ingredients at reasonable prices. This research evaluates the markets for a full range of animal and plant proteins, including soya, gluten, pulse, milk, egg, fish, meat, gelatine, and single-cell proteins. It examines vital drivers and restraints, tracks trends, and presents accurate forecasts for each sector. By offering a comprehensive view of this field, this study offers your company a detailed guide for the future. Identifying and Utilising Cost-effective Proteins Garner Increased Revenues"Marketing potential cost reductions through the inclusion of specific proteins in food products will give firms a strong competitive advantage in protein ingredients markets," says the study's analyst. Participants are increasingly selecting proteins with various functions that result in overall savings in the production process.Food companies continue to select low-cost, high-quality proteins such as caseinates and whey over less cost-effective food ingredients such as milk powder. "Protein manufacturers whose products have low price-quality ratios will need to invest in new product development to sustain growth," says the author. This analysis provides strategic recommendations to help your firm maximise its market share. Nutritional and Nutraceutical Products Opens New Opportunities"Demand for nutritionally balanced proteins are on the rise," observes the analyst. Diet aids, energy snacks and sport supplements are important drivers for this emerging area. As food companies strive to develop products that contain an abundant source of nutrients, protein manufacturers must develop products with a strong nutritional balance and multifunctional properties. "Meanwhile, functional food and nutraceutical markets within Europe have grown 10 to 20 percent since the mid-1990s," says the analyst. "Offering proteins with nutraceutical properties will play a key role in maintaining an organisation's competitive advantage." This study provides in-depth discussions of food preferences trends enabling users to take advantage of this fast growing market. Agricultural Concerns and Genetically Modified Foods Reshape Industry

The company today announced the commencement of a research agreement with Mississippi State University in order to complete the development of its product, as well as conduct taste and quality tests for fish fed with the insect protein.

According to the firm's president Ernest Papadoyianis, Neptune Industries' patent-pending Ento-Protein would be a sustainable source of protein to replace fish meal, which is currently made from rapidly declining ocean species such as anchovies, sardines and menhaden.

Neptune Industries said its product, which is expected to be on the market within the next year, will initially target organic and natural fish production before moving into the mainstream seafood market.

Fears about reduced global fish stocks have escalated in recent years. A report published last year in the Science journal claimed that all seafood stocks around the world may collapse by 2050 if fishing continues at its current rate.

The collapse, which would see more than 90 per cent of all wild seafood that is currently fished disappear, would destroy both ecosystems and fishing economies. The findings pile intense pressure on industry and governments to create a more sustainable production chain.

Neptune Industries believes its product comes at a crucial time to help address the issue.

The firm will be working with three divisions of Mississippi State University: the etymology department, to identify insect species most suited for the production of Ento-Protein; the aquaculture department, which will conduct feeding and growth rate tests on fish fed with the new protein; and the food science department, which will conduct taste tests to identify any differences in the taste or quality of fish reared on the new diet.

Once all tests have been completed successfully, the firm will move ahead with the construction of full-scale manufacturing facilities to develop the product, and expects it to be available within 12 months.

According to Papadoyianis, Ento-Protein will be a major breakthrough for the fish industry, which is not only faced with a supply shortage for bate fish, but has also been slapped with fish meal price increases at a time when demand - for both meal and fish - is on the up.

Neptune Industries also expects its product will play a key role in the market for organic fish. In a climate of increasing interest in organic products, organic fish production has remained an area of uncertainty. Last week, the National Organic Standards Board issued recommendations that fish raised on fish meal-based aquaculture diets be excluded from US Organic Aquaculture Standards. The recommendations require a sustainable source of protein be identified to replace fish meal.

"Most research has centered on the use of vegetable derived protein sources which are inferior in digestibility and assimilation in most carnivorous fish species. These sources often lead to a significant decrease in growth in animals fed these diets," said Papadoyianis."Ento-Protein is a superior dietary protein source derived from select insect species produced in a sustainable fashion under controlled conditions. Our goal is to provide our industry with a high quality, sustainable protein source for aquaculture diets that complies with U.S. Organic Standards."

Another reason why Neptune Industries will begin by targeting organic and natural fish production is that such niche market segments are generally in a position to accept higher prices. Once the firm fine-tunes its production, it expects it will "bring cost benefits to the industry".

Papadoyianis told FoodNavigator-USA.com that the insect protein could ultimately also be used in human nutrition. However, it would likely face market resistance due to an instinctive repulsion in the US against consuming insect based ingredients. But the ingredient could be positioned as a means to fortify diets in developing countries, where it could contribute to combating malnutrition.

An experiment to determine the chemical composition and proteinquality of 13 fish substrates (pollock by-products, n = 5; fishprotein hydrolysates, n = 5; and fish meals, n = 3) was conducted.Two of these substrates, salmon protein hydrolysate (SPH) andsalmon meal with crushed bones (SMB), were used to determinetheir palatability as components of dog diets. Pollock by-productsdiffered in concentrations of CP, crude fat, and total AA by71, 79, and 71%, respectively, and GE by 4.1 kcal/g. Fish proteinhydrolysates and fish meals were less variable (approximately18, 14, and 17%, and 1.4 kcal/g, respectively). Biogenic amineconcentrations were much higher in fish protein hydrolysatesas compared with pollock by-products and fish meals. Pollockliver and viscera had the highest total fatty acid concentrations;however, red salmon hydrolysate and SMB had the highest totalPUFA concentrations (49.63 and 48.60 mg/g, respectively). Salmonprotein hydrolysate had the highest protein solubility in 0.2%KOH. Based on calculations using immobilized digestive enzymeassay values, lysine digestibility of fish meal substrates wascomparable to in vivo cecectomized rooster assay values andaveraged approximately 90.3%. Also, pollock milt, pollock viscera,red salmon hydrolysate, and sole hydrolysate had comparablevalues as assessed by immobilized digestive enzyme assay androoster assays. A chick protein efficiency ratio (PER) assaycompared SMB and SPH to a whole egg meal control and showedthat SMB had high protein quality (PER = 3.5), whereas SPH hadpoor protein quality (PER value less than 1.5). However, usingwhole egg meal as the reference protein, both fish substrateswere found to be good protein sources with an essential AA indexof 1.0 and 0.9 for SMB and SPH, respectively. In the dog palatabilityexperiments, a chicken-based control diet and 2 diets containing10% of either SPH or SMB were tested. Dogs consumed more ofthe SPH diet compared with the control, and similar amountsof the SMB and control diets. The intake ratios for each were0.73 and 0.52, respectively. Salmon protein hydrolysate wasespecially palatable to dogs. These data suggest that chemicalcomposition and nutritional quality of fish substrates differgreatly and are affected by the specific part of the fish usedto prepare fish meals and fish protein hydrolysates.